Monday's Child
by alittlesummerwine
Summary: A Justice League take on an old poem called Monday's Child. Each chapter or day will feature one of the Justice League members. Saturday posted!
1. Monday's Child: Shayera

Well, I've decided to do a slightly different take on an old poem called Monday's Child. This, sadly enough, will be my first story where I am not going to use lyrics or song titles (sobs quietly), but will try and stick with the poem itself. I know, I know, I can't believe it either, but there it is.

I have some other ideas for "weekly" stories as well and I might be calling on all of you to help me out with some ideas for those too!

Anyway, it's just another look into our seven favorite characters as described by the poem – not quite drabbles, not quite a story, so we'll just go with ficlets. Enjoy!

**Monday's Child: Shayera  
**

"_Monday's child is fair of face"_

I couldn't resist!

"_Here and now, I promise to love faithfully" – Luther Vandross_

She looked into the mirror, staring intently at the image reflecting back at her, wondering when she had become less of "Hawkgirl," winging warrior and simply become Shayera. The woman reflected back at her was still a Thanagarian warrior and yet, she had never felt further from her homeland, never felt more like this was the place that she belonged, among these people, these heroes of Earth.

Today, she looked like nothing more than a woman in the first flushes of love, with her hair mussed and fluffed, her cheeks rosy and tinted, her emerald eyes glinting with satisfaction and contentment. Her hair hung in soft waves down her back, just brushing the wings that adorned her back and she stared once more into the mirror, knowing exactly what had forced her to look at herself, to wonder whether she was still doing the right thing, to decide whether or not she was truly devoted to the cause that she had been placed on Earth for.

Her duty was to Thanagar, but her heart no longer called it home.

She glanced behind her at the man tangled up in the sheets of her bed and realized that she'd tangled up her heart as well, somehow lost it here on Earth. She'd thought differently for so long, stubbornly fought to remain faithful to Hro, no matter how her heart ached with the passing of days, watching as the hours ticked by on the clock and she was still alone in a new world.

And then, things had changed – a plot, a bomb, a kiss – and now, something more, something that she hadn't been expecting and wasn't entirely sure how to deal with. 'How could she have let this happen?' she asked, looking into the mirror once again, watching as a silky tear made its way down her face, the first of the flood that she was still desperate to hold back.

She wiped quickly at it, tossing it away into the air and sucking in a deep breath, refusing to let anything mar this moment, even the fact that she had betrayed a man she had once loved and was slowly and subtly changing loyalties, reversing the ties that bound her. None of that mattered today and she pushed it all aside, clinging instead to moments of last night and right now.

Hearing a soft sound behind her she turned, a natural smile filtering through her sadness, letting the radiant beauty that was the heart of Shayera Hol shine through as she gazed upon her lover, now sitting up in bed, a welcoming smile on his face.

"Come back to bed," he murmured and she gladly obliged, burrowing into him, her heart filled with nothing but John and the moment, here and now.

**Tuesday's Child: Diana…**

**I'd love to hear what you think so far!**


	2. Tuesday: Diana

For those of you who don't know the Monday's Child poem, don't worry about it. It's incredibly easy and very simple, but sweet.

So far we have:

_Monday's child is fair of face,_

_Tuesday's child is full of grace,_

And I'll continue to add onto it everyday with another member of the Justice League.

Anyway, it's just another look into our seven favorite characters as described by the poem in a series of ficlets. I hope that you enjoyed Shayera!

**Tuesday's Child: Diana  
**

"_Tuesday's child is full of grace"_

"_Heart to heart you win, if you survive the warrior" - Scandal_

The music of the dance moved through her blood like wildfire, driving her harder, pushing her further and further until she lost herself in the dance of the warriors, focused only on the objective of winning and the artistry of thousands of years of training by her sisters and her mother.

She quickly evaded the punch, moving quickly and gracefully to the side without hesitation, simply enjoying the feel of action – the strain of her muscles, the air whipping around her, the battle cry in her throat that begged for release. She led with her left leg, circling in order to encounter the flesh or suit of her opponent, but this time she too felt the sting of hitting naught but thin air. She whirled, watching her opponent fly through the air, landing coiled and ready to spring on the balls of his feet no more than a few feet from her.

Diana smiled ferociously, enjoying the subtle taunt and play of their game, her blood racing with anticipation as she caught the subtle smirk on her opponent's face, the slow teasing smile that said that she didn't stand a chance in this particular fight.

But they had been fighting this same battle for months and today, she knew, was her time to win, her time to shine and emerge victorious. No matter how battered and bloody, she would win at all costs, she decided, launching herself into a strike aimed to maim her opponent, but he moved smoothly to the floor, catching her stomach with a foot as he casually tossed her to the side.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, the blood from the corner of her mouth and rose to her feet, watching her opponent through eyes alight with the fire of battle, a regal warrior to the heart.

She breathed deeply for a second, allowing her body to relax, to regain the edge that she had lost with her air strike, then she moved slowly into a form that was second nature to her, a form ancient in these times.

She moved swiftly across the floor, her feet moving in a rhythm and a pattern that only her brain could distinguish, only her mind could see, before striking with a closed fist, only a portion of her strength behind the motion as her hand drove towards the chest of her opponent.

He sidestepped and she immediately changed tactics, lashing out with a booted foot and watching her opponent sprawl to the floor, a slight groan the only sound he emitted, the only way that she knew that she had emerged victorious today.

Stepping over to his prone body, she brushed the hair out of her face before offering him a hand, a slow smile rising to her face as she saw the gauntleted hand take her own. As he regained his feet, she felt her body brush against the solid steel of his, watched his lips tilt as he murmured, "Until tomorrow, Princess."

**Wednesday's Child: Batman**

**Any thoughts on this one?**


	3. Wednesday: Batman

_Monday's child is fair of face,_

_Tuesday's child is full of grace,_

_Wednesday's child is full of woe,_

Anyway, it's just another look into our seven favorite characters as described by the poem in a series of ficlets. I hope that you enjoyed the ladies of the League first!

Thanks to Poisoned Existence for the help - I appreciate it!

**Wednesday's Child: Batman  
**

"_Wednesday's child is full of woe"_

"_I guess that's why they say every rose has its thorns" – Poison_

He blended with the shadows as if he were night itself come alive, sliding so seamlessly along the streets of Gotham that no one noticed him, no one saw behind the darkness and into the man, the one that they called protector, the one they called The Dark Knight.

He had been born out of tragedy and had chosen to live his life in darkness, to cling to the past and the shadows in order to brighten the futures of others.

And tonight, he was here to honor that past, to remember so that he could face every day, so that he could don the cape and the mask and remember why he had originally put them on. Tonight was a night to remember what he had lost and why he fought so hard now to preserve the goodness of Gotham.

This moment, this day, was about both Bruce and Batman, about how he had come to combine the two men together to create another purpose and identity for himself – a dark and sinister figure who carved fear in the hearts of wrongdoers and strove to cleanse his city from the villainous presence that had for so long stained the soil of Gotham City.

Tonight was about memories. He had lived in the darkness so long that sometimes it threatened to overtake him. Still, he'd always found a kernel of hope in the inspiration that had been his parents, had been the example that they'd set for him as a boy, when he'd thought the world was his and that nothing could ever go change.

He'd been wrong.

That one night had stripped away everything good in his life, everything that had been his world, the life of Bruce Wayne. Now, he was a shadow and a cipher first; a man second.

Amidst the rain drops and the quiet of the night, he knelt on the pavement, staring at the spot that he'd lost his parents so many years ago. He'd lost them because of a few dollars and now he was taking that money and helping to defend his city – building jets, creating suits, and using the most advanced technology available in order to wage his little war against crime.

Sometimes it felt like he was making a difference, however slight. But at this moment, all he could do was remember what it was like before the dark days that shrouded him now – the laughter that had been an everyday part of his life, the way that his mother had smelled of gardenias, and how his father would clasp his shoulder and look at him with pride shining in his eyes.

He wondered if they would still be proud or if they would shudder at the direction their son's life had taken, the mire of darkness that he'd been caught in.

Shaking his head from those thoughts, he watched the raindrops pool on the dark asphalt, forced himself not to think of his last moments with his parents.

Instead, he bowed his head, letting the thorny stems descend from his fingers, watching the droplets land on the silken rose petals that now marked where his parents had fallen. And, feeling the hand that touched his shoulder, the warmth and emotion that exuded from that simple touch, he covered her hand with his, listening to the rain and letting the memories fade from his mind; a knight and his princess.

**Thursday's Child: J'onn**

**And how'd I do with the Bat?**


	4. Thursday: J'onn

_Monday's child is fair of face,_

_Tuesday's child is full of grace,_

_Wednesday's child is full of woe,_

_Thursday's child has far to go,_

On to yet another member of the League – one that isn't necessarily easy to get to know, but someone who has taught us all that humanity isn't always about being human.

**Thursday's Child: J'onn**

"_Thursday's child has far to go"_

"_And all this time I've been so hollow inside…" – Evanescence_

"My family and loved ones are gone. I am the last of my kind," he told Superman softly, feeling the man behind him as his eyes glanced, unseeing, at the stars that surrounded them.

He had spent so many years, reviewing his history, his life, wanting and wishing that things could be different. A thousand years ago, he had been satisfied with his life, having married a lovely woman and siring two children anyone could be proud of. He'd had friends and family and his life had been fulfilling and filled with joy.

But that had been before they had arrived.

They had taken everything – his family, his home, and stolen it all away from him until he had become something that he had never considered even possible – the last Martian.

For a thousand years, he'd been alone, subject to his misery and his memories, guarding the terror that had overtaken his planet and subjugated him to becoming nothing more than a relic, a solitary figure, the last one standing between terror and triumph. He refused to take his burden lightly, refused to walk away from his duty as guardian to the parasitic forms that had killed his home, his life.

Superman placed a hand on his shoulder and J'onn could feel the waves of understanding and sympathy radiating from the man. If anyone could understand the loneliness that had embraced his soul, perhaps it was this Kryptonian, this Man of Steel.

"Now, Mars is dead and I am alone in the universe."

There were no tears left in J'onn now, nothing more than the last memories that refused to fade from him as he stood in the installation that they had taken to calling the Watchtower. Staring out over the bounty of stars, he wondered what forces had brought him to this place, had allowed him to find a new purpose and place in life as his old one had been stripped from him.

"J'onn, we can never replace the family you lost. But we'd be honored if you could learn to call Earth your home," Superman stated softly, his eyes lit with compassion.

Surrounded by this group of heroes, he would yet again have a purpose that involved protection. The difference, however, was that this time he didn't have to face the world alone. These people had reached out to him, gathered him into their midst, and for some reason, had chosen to accept him for who he was.

Here, surrounded by these six men and women, he felt the stirrings of interest in life once again, the promise of a brighter tomorrow than he'd experienced in the last millennium. Here, he was welcomed, accepted. At least, here amongst these people, these heroes of Earth and beyond.

Outside these walls, he knew that he would not be considered one of them, would terrify mankind thanks to the color of his skin and his various abilities, but in the confines of the Watchtower, he was just another hero, another alien that had decided to help protect Earth and it didn't matter to any of them that he was not human, that he was different.

They were all different.

Now, he was finally realizing that there was nothing left for him back on Mars and hadn't been for years now. But here, he was needed; here, he could play a part in helping the people of this planet to live their lives without the worries, the fear, or the helplessness that had plagued him during the time of the invasion on Mars.

Superman smiled, letting his words linger in the air and all he could do was smile slowly and softly in return, the first one that he had allowed in more years than he cared to remember.

This was a chance to rebuild his life and to find purpose within it, to atone for the guilt he still felt over his family, his homeland, the loss that still managed to ache within him after a thousand years.

He'd never wanted to be the last Martian. He'd simply wanted to be J'onn J'onzz, father, husband, and friend.

And, perhaps, he mused thoughtfully, he could use this new chance, this opportunity, to find that J'onn J'onzz again.

**Friday's Child: Flash**

**Comments, criticism, reviews, etc. appreciated.**


	5. Friday: Flash

_Monday's child is fair of face,_

_Tuesday's child is full of grace,_

_Wednesday's child is full of woe,_

_Thursday's child has far to go,_

_Friday's child is loving and giving_

Here's another one! This one featuring everyone's favorite speedster on the team. Who could resist that quirky smile, the jokes, and all the hilarity and optimism that Flash brought to the show? I've done a little bit with the history of Wally West, so I'm sorry if you're unfamiliar with the Teen Titans. More explanation at the bottom if you need it.

**Friday's Child: Flash**

"_Friday's child is loving and giving"_

"_Born to run/can't slow down/no regrets, I've been blessed…" – Lynyrd Skynyrd_

He knew that everyone on the team thought of him as almost a junior member, as the baby brother just being brought up into the ranks of this kingdom of superheroes. And while sometimes it bothered him, most of the time, he was just happy to be a part of the team – to have joined the greatest team of superheroes working together on Earth.

Sure, they had their bad days, but for the most part, they all appreciated each other, their strengths and weaknesses, each coming to understand and acknowledge that they all deserved to play on this scale, at this level.

In his mind, they were almost like a family, albeit not the closest one by any means.

He knew that his impatience got on the nerves of GL; that his lack of seriousness sometimes drove Batman to want to murder him; knew that the girls often tired of his incessantly flirtatious ways. Still, he knew at the end of the day that his teammates were there for him and that they would try to support him in any way possible.

Wally liked that.

In a lot of ways, that support and familial atmosphere reminded him of his first team – the Titans. The original five of them had forged a bond that still held together now, that simply couldn't be broken through the test of time. They'd been friends first and had quickly come to look on another as family members. They'd each taken their mutual bond, that of being the junior partners, and had raised themselves to another level.

Now, things were different and they'd set off on their own paths, but he knew that if he ever needed them that they would be there in a heartbeat.

That's what family did for one another. And it was purely and simply part of Wally's nature to be optimistic, to create a family from those around him in whatever way that he could. Overall, it was a trait that had served him well in the long run, allowing him to do this job of being a superhero everyday, without the paranoia and the despondency when things didn't go his way or didn't every seem to get any better.

He'd been a part of so many families during his lifetime – at home with Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris; at the Titans Tower with Dick, Garth, Roy, and Donna; with the Flashes that had been before him, handing down their legacy; and now, with the Justice League.

And, speaking of family, he decided to make a little phone call. Zipping over to the telephone, he punched in the numbers, waiting impatiently for a voice on the other end to answer. A crossword puzzle, a quick snack, and an iced mocha – or, in real time, two rings – Wally finally got the answer that he'd been waiting for.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Robbie!" he exclaimed, addressing his old friend, the former Robin Dick Grayson, currently living in Bludhaven, having assumed the mantle of Nightwing after his exit from Gotham City.

Without even waiting for his friend's response, he continued quickly, letting all the words come out quickly in one breath, "I'm in the mood for a little reunion. Wanna get the old Titans team together for some pizza or something?"

Dick laughed, having, from years of experience, been able to keep up with Wally's excited speech patterns. "You know I'm always up for pizza, Twinkletoes."

"Great!" Wally answered. "I'll have my people call your people once I've called other people." He paused for a second. "Man, even I didn't understand that."

Dick simply let out a quick laugh. "You must be off your game today. Look, I'll call everyone else and we'll settle time and place. Alright?"

Wally agreed and after a few more friendly barbs back and forth at one another, they hung up, Dick having agreed to shoulder the burden of getting the other Titans together, including everybody's favorite niece, Lian, Roy's daughter. It was so natural for Dick to assume the leadership role, even amongst the simple things like getting the group together again, that Wally had simply let nature take its course.

He smiled, letting his body relax as he took a sip of one of the energy drinks that he seemed to be perpetually downing.

Family, friends, and pizza. Life was good.

**Saturday's Child: John/GL**

**Comments, criticism, reviews, etc. appreciated.**

The original Teen Titans or Fab Five as my beta would say: (I use the word mentor lightly with some of these characters)

**Wally** – former Kid Flash, now Flash

**Roy** – former Speedy (Mentor: Green Arrow), now Arsenal

**Donna** – former Wonder Girl (Mentor: Wonder Woman), now Troia

**Dick** – former Robin (Mentor: Batman), now Nightwing

**Garth** – former Aqualad (Mentor: Aquaman), now Tempest


	6. Saturday: Green Lantern

_Monday's child is fair of face,_

_Tuesday's child is full of grace,_

_Wednesday's child is full of woe,_

_Thursday's child has far to go,_

_Friday's child is loving and giving,_

_Saturday's child works hard for a living,_

Second to last one now. Almost there! Anyway, this one will focus on the Green Lantern of the group, John Stewart. To me, he's one of the hardest characters to understand and actually write, so I hope that I manage to get him in character.

**Saturday's Child: GL/John**

"_Saturday's child works hard for a living"_

"_It's been a hard day's night/and I been working like a dog…" – Beatles_

His idea of a good time was nothing more than a beer in one hand and the television remote in the other hand, watching as the teams on the field battled it out in a bid for supremacy that had been going on for ages.

Unfortunately, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a moment to sit down, much less actually take in a football game and relax with a cold one.

John loved the simple pleasures in life – the feel of a frozen snowball as it trickled down your neck, melting from the heat of battle; the bursting sensation of pride he indulged himself in every time that he put the ring of the Green Lantern Corps on his finger; the soft slide of a woman's hand over his own in a gentle caress that he never really understood but always appreciated.

And yet, for John, as soft as their skin might be, he preferred his women to be tough as nails, to fight him for supremacy, and to melt in his arms at the end of the day.

Whenever, he mused, this day actually ended.

Sometimes it seemed like he'd given up a part of John Stewart in order to take on this job, that he'd forsaken his life in order to provide a better one for others. But, that was part of the job description and he's known what he was getting in for when he'd been picked for the Green Lantern Corps.

There was no turning back now, even if he wanted to. And he didn't, truly, he didn't. It was a part of him now, so deep in his blood and his skin that he couldn't imagine not being a Green Lantern and just being another ordinary citizen, walking the streets of Detroit after a boring 9 to 5 job like everyone else.

He had a work ethic forged from years of service to his country and a body and mind that were primed for action, no matter the time of day. Or, on days like today, no matter how long he'd been without sleep. Blinking rapidly, he forced himself to focus, to sit upright and proud like he'd been taught during his years of service.

But his mind still wandered to the feathered form of Shayera, sitting across the League meeting table from him as Superman droned on about the holiday schedule. To be honest, he'd stopped paying attention about an hour ago, hoping that Batman would cut off the other superhero in his tracks, but, so far, no such luck. Batman had been surprisingly quiet this meeting and John wondered if perhaps his mind too was elsewhere, particularly since he'd noticed a few sparks flying between the dark superhero and Wonder Woman ever since their mission in Kasnia.

But he had enough sparks of his own to deal with in the form of one Shayera Hol, Thanagarian, fiery female, and distracting beauty. Things had finally come to a head between them recently and he was hoping to be able to spend a little time over the winter holidays with her – to get to know each other outside of the confines of work.

Today was one of those days that seemed impossible. And yet, when he caught her eye and she winked at him, he decided that no matter how long the day, the idea of spending the end of it with a certain redhead and sharing a few beers was all that he wanted.

**Sunday's Child: Superman**

**Comments, constructive criticism, reviews, etc. appreciated. **


	7. Sunday: Superman

_Monday's child is fair of face,_

_Tuesday's child is full of grace,_

_Wednesday's child is full of woe,_

_Thursday's child has far to go,_

_Friday's child is loving and giving,_

_Saturday's child works hard for a living,_

_But the child that's born on the Sabbath day_

_Is bonny, blithe, good, and gay._

Well, after a few much needed days away from work and with my adorable nieces and nephews, I'm back and hopefully I can do justice to the last chapter of this piece – we'll see and thanks for sticking with me!

**Sunday's Child: Superman**

"_But the child that's born on the Sabbath day is bonny, blithe, good, and gay"_

"_One thing I know no matter where I go, I keep my heart and soul in the Boondocks…_

_It's where I learned about living, it's where I learned about love, it's where I learned about working hard…" – Little Big Town_

Sometimes it felt like no matter what he did that he didn't belong. He was always different personas, different people, always trying to please the world and rarely taking a minute for himself. The few minutes he could actually call downtime usually involved sleeping or eating before racing towards yet another newspaper assignment or League mission.

But he was different. He knew that. He'd always known that. There was a part of him that would always be Kryptonian, that would never really know what it was like to be at home on Earth, to be just another man among so many in the world.

He was Superman.

And yet, he was also Clark Kent, son to Jonathan and Martha, raised on a farm in Kansas and slowly rising through the ranks of the Daily Planet. He'd been able to learn from his adopted parents about things like morals, control, and how to be a good man, no matter his background. To them, he was simply their son and he always had been. And he was grateful for that – that they had been able to look on him as a son and as just another person.

He couldn't have asked for better adopted parents or a better place to call home than Kansas. They had all been part and parcel to who he was now, to both Superman and Clark Kent. He was both because of his background, because of the upbringing that he'd been raised with.

Sometimes, he wondered if things would have been different had he been raised on Krypton. And yet, most of the time, he didn't dwell on that, preferring instead to think about all the gifts that he'd been given and the family life he'd been blessed with.

Krypton had birthed him, but it was Earth and its nature and inhabitants who had made him Superman.

And while sometimes he longed for the simplicity of just being another ordinary man, he knew and understood that with great gifts came great responsibility. And he was a man who didn't shirk his responsibilities.

Ma and Pa Kent would never have allowed that.

Although he sometimes didn't feel like he fit in entirely with the rest of the world, he knew that he had made a difference in his adopted home, even just as Clark Kent. He had been able to give the Kents the gift of a son and he enjoyed his work for the Daily Planet – telling a story in facts and truth through the written word. It was an escape for him – to pick up that pencil or to sit and type at the keyboard – and a love that had given him yet another purpose in life.

He knew that people always saw him as who he was in that moment – Clark was the bumbling reporter with the thick glasses and the Midwestern morals while Superman was the hero who never lost and always championed the people.

In a way, he was both and always would be. He couldn't let go of either of those personalities without changing intrinsically who he was.

And, letting go of those thoughts and turning his mind to the upcoming weekend he was planning to spend on the farm as he circled Metropolis, pulling Lois more securely into his arms, he decided that he wouldn't change his life for anything.

**The End. Hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to let me know what you thought of it…but please try to be positive, even with criticism. I've noticed (and received) a few incredibly offensive reviews floating around. **

**Comments, constructive criticism, reviews, etc. appreciated. **


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